The Struggle of Time
by snareplayingpiccolo
Summary: Evelyn Calanthia Snape begins a new life with her father. Father and daughter struggle through time as they try and make up for lost time. Will their new found relationship last throughout her Hogwarts years? Or will Hogwarts destroy their relationship all together?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, storyline and universe. I only own the OC and the storyline associated with her. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!**

**Chapter One**

**The Fire**

_**July 10**__**th**_

A strange quietness hangs in the air. Everything is quiet. The usual sound of shuffling feet on the wooden floor wandering around the house is not there. The faint sound of chores being done has stopped. Even the wind has kept itself quiet. The usual rustlings of leaves on the branches remain still as a rock. The constant chirping of the birds ceases to exist. The neighing of the horses on the farm down the road stopped neighing. Dogs barking in the far distance ceased to bark. It is as if the world around me has ceased to move, ceased to continue living.

On the second floor of the medium sized farmhouse, a young girl locked away in a small bedroom, not realizing that a fire had started until it was already too late. The temperature in the small, enclosed bedroom rose at a steady rate. The cool temperature that had always been kept at low jumped up into a stifling, boiling heat. Beads of sweat began to drip down the girl's forehead. Breathing became harder and harder as black smoke seeped through the cracks of the poorly made door. The thick, heavy smoke filled up her lungs. The oxygen that she needed to breathe shrunk rapidly as more smoke clogged up the air.

She struggled hard to breathe in a decent amount of clean air. Smoke stung her lungs, nose, throat and mouth. Her lungs burned like an intense fire with each inhaling of air and smoke. Her head throbbed painfully, causing a nauseous feeling rise. The lack of air made it hard for her to think clearly. White stars shot across her eyes. Pain seared her eyes as the smoke interacted with her tears and eyeballs.

'_Dad! Daddy! Help me! Please! I need help! I'm in trouble! Please help me!_' she thought over and over, just hoping that he would hear her mental cry.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, a certain Severus Snape sat in his office, preparing his lesson plans for the upcoming term when he heard the call in his mind from his daughter. His hand froze midair, the quill still gripped within his fingers. His entire body tensed. His face, usually schooled into an emotionless mask, broke down revealing fear and terror as the mental pleas for help rang through his mind.

_'Dad! Daddy! Help me! Please! I need help! I'm in trouble! Please help me'_ reverberated the mental call over and over again.

Gathering his senses, he set down his pen and hastily capped the bottle of ink he was using. He quickly walked out of his office. Continuing his brisk pace, he raced out of the dungeons and through the Entrance Hall. Once passing through the big double doors, he sprinted across the grounds and through the gates to the apparition point just outside the walls of the school. In a swish of his black cloak, the tall, lean man dispparated at the apparition point.

Back at the house, the little girl never heard the pop of an apparition over the loud crackling of the raging inferno. Her dulled senses did not pick up on a shift in the surrounding world. She never noticed the black-cloaked figure standing over her. She never noticed the figure kneeling down in front of her. She did not pick up on any movement at all. She is too focused on keeping herself alive long enough for someone to show up.

" Evelyn Calanthia?" a deep baritone voice called softly in her left ear.

"Daddy? Is that really you?" she asked the man weakly.

"Yes, my daughter. It is really I. I am here to take you away from this awful place,"

"Where will you take me?"

"I will take you somewhere far away from this place. Do not worry about it now, child. Save your energy. You will need it," he said as he gently picked her up.

"But daddy…"

"Save your energy, child. I don't want you to die so soon,"

"Yes father. I will try,"

Those were her last words before everything went blank. An uncertain darkness overcame her weakened mind. She felt trapped like a big dog in a small cage. Everything felt cold as ice. Everything felt fuzzy and tingly at the same time. Despite feeling cold, something fuzzy and warm crawled along her dark and empty world. Thoughts cannot form properly. What thoughts that do form don't make any sense. She had to get out of this. Her father didn't want her to be in this state of mind forever.

Clutching his unconscious child tightly to his chest, he turned on the spot and apparated out of the flaming house. Appearing a few seconds later in front of the gates to Hogwarts, he raced through the gates, across the grounds, straight through the Entrance hall and down the steps into the dungeons. The portrait to his rooms swung open, feeling the urgency of the situation in his magic.

He entered into his private chambers; he rushed over to the spare bedroom made specifically for her. He placed her gently on the fluffy, comfortable bed. He transfigured her tattered clothing into more comfortable pajamas. Then he feverishly set about stabilizing her. He took note of how thin her body was. He guessed that she might have been starved most of her life due to her very thin form. He couldn't help but worry that she might be malnourished for her age despite her height. He also took note of the bruises, welts and various minor injuries at different stages of healing all over her body. He couldn't help but wonder if she had been beaten beforehand. He had to visit Headmaster Dumbledore.

Doing all that he could to make sure that she would be stable for a while, he spelled a Dreamless Sleep potion into her stomach. He pulled the fluffy comforter over her and spelling it to keep her fragile body warm. He then spelled the room to alert him when she would wake from her slumber if she awoke before he returned. He hated having to leave her side, especially since she's in such a weakened state, but he had to do what any father would do.

He bent down over her face and kissed her forehead. He stroked her cheek gently. He straightened and conjured up a note and multiple potions for her to take if anything happens to her before he gets back. Looking at her now peaceful face, his eyes couldn't hide the determination that had overcome his usual blank mask.

'_Do not worry, little one. I will be back as soon as I can. I promise,' _he thought before he turned and headed towards the door. At the doorway, he gave one last look at her before leaving the room.

Before leaving his private quarters, he grabbed a specially made cloak he had bought for his daughter from his rooms and placed it on the back of the couch where he knew she would find it when she woke up. He had planned on giving it to her in person when he had originally planned on picking her up later that day before the fire destroyed the home. He walked around the couch to the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of floo powder. Before throwing it into the fire, he took one last glance at the robe and the door leading to her room. Then with a jerk of his hand, he flicked the floo powder into the fire and walked into the green flames, on his way to Madam Pomfrey's office.

Meanwhile, in Madam Pomfrey's office, Madam Pomfrey had just walked in from her private storeroom. She had been checking up on her supply of potions. She had finally completed a list by this point and needs to give it to Severus soon. She would get that visit sooner rather than later. The fire flared green just as she had sat at her desk. A certain potions master strode through the flames.

"Severus! What are you doing here? I was just going to floo you to give you a list of potions that I need by the beginning of the year," she exclaimed, and then she noticed that something was off with the man "What is wrong, Severus?"

"I just rescued my daughter from a house fire. She has suffered injuries from not only the fire but from what appears to be abuse. I haven't been able to talk to her because she fell unconscious in my arms when I picked her up earlier. She's in stable condition for now. I hate having to leave her alone, but I've set some alarms to alert me to anything that changes with her. I need to ask you to help me with healing her. I will get in contact with you when she awakes," he replied.

"I see. I will prepare for your arrival," she answered with understanding, a hint of shock hidden within her eyes.

"Thank you for understanding, Poppy. Now I must head over to the Headmaster's office. I hope that he doesn't cause me to much of a problem," he responded.

"Good luck, Severus," she said softly.

"I will need all the luck I can get," he retorted as he grabbed a pinch of floo powder. Then he threw it in the fire and disappeared into the green flames, off to Headmaster Dumbledore's office.

Today is going to be a trying day indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've been having a rough couple of weeks. I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the Harry Potter storyline. I only own Evelyn Calanthia and the made up storyline. Thanks to niley4eva2012 for reviewing! Please feel free to review!**

**Chapter Two**

**A Short Meeting and a Dinner**

**Same Day**

The overbearing darkness that had clouded my mind began to lift. She knew that she was getting close to finally waking from unconsciousness. Her senses slowly began to take ahold the more this strange darkness lightened. The things she could feel flooded in. Some things flowed in at a slower pace. Others rushed in like a flood. She didn't like being over flooded too fast. It gave her a terrible migraine for a day. She had a strong feeling that she had been fed potions.

After what felt like forever, the heavy darkness fully lifted itself out of her mind and disappeared. Ironically, her head felt clear of pain, which is highly unusual. Strange aromas flooded my nose. A soft cloth blanket covered her, keeping me warm. The bed is comfy in general. The cool temperature hit her face, making her feel happier. No sound echoed in this cool place. No vibrations reverberated from anywhere in this part of the building. Opening her eyes, blurriness made itself well known before it faded away relatively quickly. What she saw around her surprised her.

Stonewalls turned a soft shade of green created a medium sized room. Standing in a corner sits a dark mahogany wardrobe. A couple of pinewood bookshelves painted black sat around a medium sized desk. Obviously, it could be used for studying or doing other important things. A dark fir side table sat next to the bed on her left, a used candle stood lopsided. Built into the wall across from her full sized bed, a stone fireplace stood full of flames of orange, red and yellow. The heat radiated away from the crackling flames in waves.

'_Where am I?_' she thought to herself '_I know that I'm in a castle, but where? I must explore my surroundings. I don't want to have to stay in my bed all the time. Anyways, I have to find out what time it is. I hate not knowing what the time is._'

Pulling off the warm blankets, she swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Looking at the side table, she noticed a note with several vials filled with liquids of various colors. She stared at the note and bottled liquids curiously. They look like colored juices. Yet she had a feeling in her gut that these are potions. She noticed a piece of parchment reached out and grabbed it. Scribbled on the parchment in a scratchy handwriting was:

_Evelyn Calanthia,_

_ If you are reading this note, then I am not nearby. I'm sorry that I'm not there for you when you've awoken. I will be there as soon as I can. Before you leave your bed to explore, you must take all of these potions. It will help you get stronger. Feel free to explore my living quarters. Do not explore my lab, outside the living quarters or my office. They are forbidden until I say you can leave. I will be back as soon as I can. Do not hesitate to get into my mind if you need me._

_Love always,_

_S. Snape_

'_Ok, I guess I will take these potions. If it makes me feel better then I will. I don't want him to get mad at me for not taking my potions,_' she thought to herself '_it wouldn't hurt me if I did.'_

With that, she set the note back down on the table and grabbed the closest vial. She chugged it down. '_Ew! That tasted nasty!' _she thought to herself while her face made a funny look. Setting the empty vial down, she grabbed another and downed it in a matter of seconds. She continued drinking all the vials that were sitting on the nightstand until they all stood empty. Some of them tasted awful, but she had to do what she had to do.

Slowly, she got off the bed, making sure that she wouldn't become sick as she did so. Her feet touched something soft. Looking down she could see a pair of fluffy, black slippers. She slid her feet into them gently, trying to not destroy them. Not letting the fluffy slippers distract her from exploring the quarters, she began her slow, quiet walk through the place. Before she began her full-blown exploration, she went straight to the bathroom. Her legs wobbled a bit, but soon gained strength with each step she took towards the loo.

After she had relieved herself, she walked out a second door leading out into a dimly lit hallway. Four other doors stood in this hallway, one across from my room, another to the right on the same side of the hallway and one other to the right of my door on my side and one down the hall on my right. She felt that she had no need to go through the first three doors. She walked down the short hallway to the fourth door. Gently, she mentally scanned what was on the other side of the door. The room felt void of people. She could not pick up anybody in the room. While keeping her senses perked up for anything that moves, she opened the door and peered into it.

The room beyond this door is simple yet cozy. A fireplace engraved with green snakes stuck out slightly from the opposite wall. A red orange flame cackled softly from within, sending out soft rays of warmth in all directions. A comfortable black leather armchair stood proud to the right. On the left another similar armchair sat exactly like the one on the right. A black sofa faced the fireplace thus finishing the little square.

Pinewood bookshelves lined the walls. Books of all shapes and sizes filled the shelves. Plants intermingled within the many bookshelves. Sitting in a far corner away from a door that seemingly leads to somewhere else, a large warm brown mahogany desk littered with parchment sat quietly waiting for its master to show up. Nearby, a table that could be used for students sat empty of items. Comfortable chairs are neatly tucked into the table. A coat holder stood silently in a corner by the door. An outdoor robe hung from this coat holder.

What caught her attention was the thing resting on the back cushions of the couch in front of her. A black robe made of some sort of cloth imbued with a familiar magical power. This power called out to her. She approached it cautiously. She felt very suspicious of this robe. Picking it up, the cloth was made of a soft cloth. She noticed that in the inside of the robe runes were inscribed. She could feel and see the magic that throbbed out from the runes and the robe in general. A gentle vibration coursed throughout the entire robe. She could see many different colors wandering in and out of each rune. It seemed to give off a very protective feeling that she has never felt before.

She could not resist putting on the robe, so she pulled it over her pajamas. As if sensing the magic of its owner, the robe shrank to fit her thin but tall body. She could see it begin to make an invisible shield around her while trying to keep her body from freezing. She could feel it trying to protect her from dying from within. She could feel it trying to keep her alive. She knew that it was trying very hard to earn her acceptance as its new master.

She sighed softly, figuring out that this robe meant no harm to her and accepted it as her own. She strode over to the big leather armchair. Inspecting it curiously, she noticed that it looked and felt comfortable to sit on. She saw, through magic, that there was remnants of her father's magic still clung to the chair. She knew that this is his favorite chair to sit in. She decided to sit in it even though she shouldn't. It just felt so inviting to her! She hoped that her father wouldn't get mad at her for sitting in his favorite chair.

Plopping down into the chair, she made myself comfortable within its inviting arms. The remnants of her father's magic seeped into her, trying to comfort her. Her mind began to wander aimlessly in every direction. Thoughts and colors mushed together into a mashed potato type texture. Her senses dulled similarly to that of a dulled knife. Slowly, her thoughts drifted away as she fell deeper and deeper into the grips of sleep. Her robe kept her warm like a blanket as she curled into a fetal position.

A couple of hours earlier, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk in his office, working on some paperwork for the Ministry when the fire flared green. Looking up from his desk, he watched as Severus Snape stepped through. Despite his usual expressionless mask, Dumbledore could feel the anger and magic radiating outwards. Something is bothering the potions master.

"Why what an unexpected surprise, Severus, my dear boy! What may I do for you today? Lemon drop?" exclaimed the Headmaster, a twinkle in his eyes.

_Damn Albus! Damn his twinkling eyes! Damn his meddling ways, _thought Severus, his thoughts carefully hidden from the Headmaster. He's a master Occlumens after all.

"Why didn't you tell me that my own daughter was left in my ex- wife's care?" Severus replied through gritted teeth, trying very hard to keep his calm.

"Why is your daughter's health and wellbeing so important to you? She's safe with your ex-wife," Albus responded.

"She nearly died from a fire that destroyed the home that she was staying at! I had to go rescue her almost a half an hour ago! I could've lost my only living child today from that fire!" Severus screeched, unable to contain his anger for much longer "From what I gathered, while I was healing her as much as I could, she has been abused and starved on top of the injuries she had suffered from the fire!"

Albus' face paled at what he had just heard. Severus's daughter had been treated badly at the hands of the ex-wife and he didn't even know about it until Severus mentioned it. He just stared in shock at Severus, watching the black- clad man pacing back and forth attempting to reign in his temper.

"What do you expect me to do, Severus?" Albus replied quietly, after a few minutes of watching the younger man.

"I want her to be under my care now! I will take care of her better than my ex. I will protect her, love her, and be there for her when she needs me. I lost her once when she was just a baby. I will not loose her again. Her mother is unfit to take care of Evelyn. She nearly killed my daughter! Please Albus, let me become her legal guardian," Severus said, his voice much calmer that just a few minutes ago.

"Alright, Severus. I will get in contact with the Ministry and have them come over with the paperwork immediately," resigned Albus with a sigh.

True to his word, Albus got in contact with the Ministry. Soon, a Ministry official came through the floo with paperwork in hand. Severus, Albus and the official worked together on the paperwork. Hours after the Ministry official had left would pass by before the alarms Severus had set went off. He stood up and stalked quickly towards the fireplace. Grabbing a pinch of floo, he looked back at Albus.

"Will you come and speak to her?" Severus asked.

"Yes I will come through and speak with her," replied the Headmaster.

With a sharp nod, the potions master threw the floo into the fireplace and stepped through the green flames.

Suddenly, the fire flared green surprising me out of her sleep-induced stupor. She stared wide- eyed as a tall man dressed in simple black robes inscribed in runes. His greasy, black hair hung around a face etched with tiredness. His magic felt like the magic she had felt during the fire. His magic resonated with a part of her magic. She knew that this man is her father and the one who saved her from that fire. She watched closely as his thin body moved around the coffee table in a way that told her someone else is coming.

As if on cue, the fire blazed green for a second time. This time around an older man stepped out of the fireplace. A white beard went down to his waist while more white hair fell down past his shoulders. He wore a pair of glasses set in front of a pair of twinkling blue eyes. This man is shorter that her father. She has a bad feeling about this man.

"Where is she, Severus?" asked the older man.

"She should be in her room. However, I placed a robe on the back of the couch meant specifically for her. It is not there anymore. I have reason to believe that she is awake and wandering around somewhere. I just hope that she did not leave my quarters," drawled her father in a deep baritone voice, worry etched deep within his mind behind a wall. '_So that is his first name,'_ she thought to herself.

"I hope so too. Can you find her?" the old man said as the black-cloaked man turned towards her.

"I already have, headmaster," my father said as his obsidian black eyes bored into her pair of obsidian black ones.

"Where is she?"

"She is curled up in my favorite chair."

She shivered under the stern gazes of both men. She closed my eyes. She knew that closing her eyes wouldn't make them go away. Yet she did out of sheer habit. Men before had beaten her. She nearly died because of it. If she didn't close her eyes she would have to suffer from more intense beatings. Her past is something that she did not want to relive. A gentle touch on her shoulder brought her back to reality. She stared up into the obsidian eyes of her father.

"Everything will be alright, young one. I will not hurt you. I will protect you with my life. I promise," he said quietly.

She stared deep into his eyes. She still did not completely trust the man. Pushing into his mind, she managed to get through his defenses and read his thoughts and emotions. She watched out of the corner of her eye as his face paled even further and his eyes widened in shock as she flitted through his thoughts and memories. She saw memories of a dark childhood. She watched memories of school years fraught with horror whiz by. She saw memories of an even darker period and remorse of something gone wrong. She watched as memories of years of endless spying and teaching and potions darted around. She saw that he doesn't break any promises. Thoughts began to float around in our joint minds.

'_How in the world is she able to slip past my defenses? It is basically impossible to get into my mind. How would I be able to protect myself from other people's minds if a different person does it?'_ he thought.

'_I can still see your thoughts,' _she thought mentally as she giggled softly _'It is never impossible to enter someone's mind no matter how skilled they are at occlumency. I have developed my mind magic to the point where I can enter a person's mind without any issue, get the information I want and still manage to defend my own mind from attack. The only way to defend yourself from another 'attack' is to be protected by someone who already HAS gone through your mind with this ability.'_

'_Would I be able to hide any of my thoughts from you?'_

'_Not from me. But, from everyone else, yes you can. I've already connected my mind to yours. Our joint minds cannot be broken into very easily.'_

'_Let's physically talk. The headmaster would like to speak with you as well. May I hold you in my lap?'_

She nodded her approval. She still hated being touched by a man, but he is different. He is trustworthy. His magic comforts me. She trusts him more than the other man at least. She just hopes he's not like the other men. She shivered at the thought of him beating her.

"Are you alright? Is it too cold in here for you? Did you take your potions?" asked her father worriedly.

"Yes, I am alright. I had a particularly nasty thought that I did not like. It is the perfect temperature for me. I took my potions as soon as I woke up," she said softly, her throat feeling scratchy and hurt really bad. He stared straight into my eyes. She could tell he is looking for what is bothering her within her mind.

'_What is making you hurt? I could sense that something is bothering you.'_

'_My throat is bothering me. It hurts to talk. I don't want to talk the other man physically and mentally. Can you talk for me, please?'_

'_Sigh. I will speak for you. I do not want you to hurt while you speak.'_

'_Thank you.'_

"Headmaster, she will not speak. I do not wish her to be in more pain. I will speak for her," her father said as he picked me up and sat down in the chair she had occupied a few minutes beforehand.

"Very well," said the old man as he turned to her "Welcome Miss Snape to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the current headmaster of this school."

She nodded slightly. Her eyes focused on his twinkling blue ones. Her usual expressionless facial expression betrayed nothing. She had learned to close off her mind to the outside world. She had learned that showing any emotions is a mind not protected. She could feel the push of the Headmaster's mind as he attempted to probe her mind. It ended unsuccessfully as he could not get through her mental shield which was also bolster by her fathers' own mental strength. She watched as a confused look developed on his face.

'_Tell him not to enter my mind again. He is lucky that I expected it and had to refrain myself from lashing out like I usually do and causing him pain,'_ she thought to her father.

'_I will tell him that,' _he replied darkly, his eyes narrowed. Then he said angrily "Do not enter her mind again. She had to refrain herself from doing what she normally does and causing you pain."

"All I need is more information."

"You would not get it from attempting to invade her mind! She can cause some serious damage! I found that out the hard way. Don't make the same mistake I did."

"Very well, I will ask when she is ready. In the meantime, I will leave the both of you to eat dinner. I've got more important things to do," and with that he got up and left through the fireplace.

Her body relaxed somewhat after he left. Her mind stayed active, just waiting, watching, and feeling around for the push of a probing mind. She's always on high alert especially after meeting someone new. Her mind always has a protective mode on no matter what my mental or physical state is in. It is difficult to enter her mind without her permission or without being hurt mentally. It's safe to say that she have developed my magic especially mind magic faster than anyone her age. She had developed it to be stronger than those who just got out of school. Her magic is much more powerful than people take it to be.

'_Evelyn, you do not need to continue being alert to another mind. He has already left,'_ stated my father.

'_You may never know if someone decides to enter one's mind unexpectedly. It is better to be safe than sorry. Anyways, it is out of sheer habit that I protect my mind constantly from intruders,'_ she thought quietly as she rested her head on his chest.

'_I see. Do you want something to eat? You haven't eaten very much in the last few hours.'_

'_Yes, please._'

"Fulvia!" exclaimed my father.

With a crack, a house elf showed up. She had never seen a house elf in person beforehand. She had only heard of them. This house elf is dressed in a simple pillowcase. The Hogwarts crest is sown in on the left shoulder of this pillowcase. Its pointy ears stuck out straight as an arrow. Its long pointy nose stuck out in front of its face in the middle of its small face. On either side of the nose two large circle shaped eyes peered around. The thin lips formed a half circle underneath its nose.

"What can I do for Master Severus and Mistress Evelyn?" squeaked Fulvia as she bowed.

'_Ravioli sprinkled with goat's cheese and a Coca-Cola please!'_ she thought excitedly to her father.

"Can you get us one ravioli sprinkled with goat's cheese, one Coca-Cola, one tomato soup sprinkled with cheese and one black coffee please," he said softly.

"Yes Master Severus," Fulvia said as she bowed down again and then popped away.

'_Will you sit on the couch? It would make it more comfortable for the both of us when we eat.'_

'_Yes, dad.'_

She scrambled off his lap and hopped onto the couch. She sat straight and stiff as a pin on the middle cushion. Her mother that if she didn't sit straight she would get punished severely for it later on has beaten it into her. She could tell that dad is a stickler for rules. She does not want to get punished for not obeying orders. Nor did she want to get in trouble for anything else for that matter.

"Habit I presume," drawled the silky baritone voice from her right.

'_Yes, sir, it's because of my past with mum that made me do things out of sheer habit.'_

Before her dad could reply, the food appeared on the coffee table. Food piled on plates sat in front of both of us. The smell of good food wafted from both sets of plates. Sitting nearby were a glass of coca- cola and a cup of coffee. She noticed that a vial appeared next to her glass of coca- cola. She looked over at dad curiously.

"It's a nutrient potion. You are seriously malnourished when I got you out of that place. You still are, so that is why I'm giving you it. You will drink one before breakfast and one before dinner. It will help you get better."

She nodded. She grabbed the little vial and drank the entire nutrient potion. _'That tastes nasty!'_ She thought to herself as she shuddered. She could hear a chuckle coming from her dad. She shot him a glare. She did not like to be poked fun at sometimes. He just looked back with an amused expression on his face before he began eating his food. She quickly followed suit, making sure that she didn't eat too fast as she didn't want to get even more sick than she already was.

They ate in total silence. The both of them went deep into their own secluded thoughts. Thinking of what life is going to be like now that there is a young girl around. She wondered how things have changed since she left her old place. She wondered how her life would be different now that she lives in a new household. She wonders if things will be different here than back at her old house. She can't help but look towards a brighter future and leave the past behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter posted. College seems to have a way with getting in the way of writing. I do not own any portion of the Harry Potter story line and the characters of Harry Potter. I only own Evelyn Calanthia and the story line attached to Evelyn Calanthia. Thanks to niley4eva2012 and KaylaWolf7621 for reviewing! Please feel free to review!**

**Chapter Three**

**The Nightmare and Getting Sick**

**The Next Day, July 11th**

When they had finished the food, the plates stood empty with flecks of food still stuck on each individual utensil, bowl and plate before it melted into nothingness, taken to the kitchens to be cleaned. The food that Evelyn had consumed filled her up, making her feel warm inside and very sleepy. She couldn't help but begin to doze off into sleep. However, she wouldn't get to stay that way for long.

"Evelyn, I believe it would be in your best interest to get back into bed," whispered her father in a silky voice as he gently shook her awake "I will go over the rules and expectations with you tomorrow. Come along, child."

"Mhmm… yes, sir," she replied softly.

"Come young one, lets get you tucked into bed," he said as he picked her up off the couch. Evelyn curled up in his arms. Her face buried deeper into his chest under another layer of cloak. The scent of cologne and the steady beat of his heartbeat calmed her. Soon, she had fallen asleep within the protectiveness of his arms. And before she knew it, she was tucked into bed and fast asleep.

Severus stood next to Evelyn's bed. He observed her peaceful sleep. _She looks so peaceful when she sleeps _Severus thought. One of his hands brushed one of her black locks of hair. Bending down, he kissed her forehead gently.

"Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you," he whispered in her ear. Standing straight, he quietly strode over to the door. He looked back at his sleeping daughter before walking out. He had to get some sleep after today's events. Little did he know, he would be woken up a few hours later.

_She stood in the center of my old bedroom. It had remained as how she remembered it before the fire, before her life had changed. A bed sat underneath a small window, the sheets and pillow lay like tattered rags as they have always been. The nightstand and lamp stood next to it, literally falling apart to pieces. The wardrobe, in a similar condition to the nightstand, held all of her ripped hand-me-down work clothing unsuitable for a ten-year-old child was build into the wall to the left side of her bed. On the right side of her bed stood her decapitated table complete with drawers and an old chair. The floor still remained the cluttered mess of garbage that she had to live in. Yet, something just felt different about this room._

_ "Well lookit what we got here. The little toe rag of a girl!" came a voice from behind her._

_ Standing in the doorway to her room is her mother's boyfriend. A tall, heavyset man, her boyfriend can be an intimidating for a young child especially if all he is, is fat. Being a constant drinker, the man had this giant beer belly. He had really strong arms and legs despite his oversized belly. Attached to the end of each arm is a pair of meaty hands and fingers. His feet looked too oversized for his body. His chubby head looked too small for his oversized body. The overgrown moustache was flecked with food. What little hair he had had receded significantly and was starting to turn white. He had very little interest in keeping up on good hygiene thus he had this nasty stench associated with him. Evelyn had little interest in learning his name and could care less._

_ Behind him stood her mother. She stood tall and somewhat beautiful. Her shoulder length light brown hair curled at the top of her shoulders. She is as thin as a twig. Her breasts were of medium size with a tad bit of sag. Her face is a pretty as she could get it with all that make-up on. Without it, she's got an ugly face. Yet on this face of hers, she had this grin where her teeth had slightly yellowed already. She would not even bother calling her mum. Evelyn just uses her first name. She never loved her especially with the way she and her boyfriend treated her._

_ "What do you want now?" Evelyn asked quietly. She knew the answer to the question, but she could not stop herself from asking the question._

_ "You don't know what we want? You've already forgotten the last time. You're so stupid, so dumb," he said with a smile._

_Then, at an unnerving speed, the man charged at Evelyn and backslapped her on the face. He brought the same hand down and slapped the other side of her face. He did it over and over again until her cheeks turned a bright red. She noticed that her mother just stood in the doorway and watched it all happen with a sickening smile on her face._

"_This is what you get you little bitch for being here today. This is what you get for still being alive," he said as he unbuckled his belt._

_With that belt, he began to hit me viciously all over my back. Evelyn sobbed silently in pain as the belt hit her back. New welts began to form over the old welts. Her back burned like an inferno with each hit. As soon as he had started, he stopped. By this point, she lay on the floor. That brief lapse of punishment wouldn't last long and it didn't. He started to kick her hard in the abdomen with his boot. She tried her best to curl up into a fetal position to protect her head and neck from damage. Regardless of how hard she tried to protect herself from danger, she still couldn't fight off the onslaught of kicks._

"_You are such a nasty little freak," he yelled with each kick "You do not belong in this world you little jerk. You deserve to die. You're father left you here because you are too freaky, too ugly like him to deserve to have a proper life, you little slaving whore!"_

"_Please… stop," she whispered as blood dripped out of her mouth._

"_Never!" he shouted. Just as the word left his lips he turned into thick, choking black smoke. Evelyn's mother as well turned into the same thick, choking black smoke of the fire. The black smoke that had once been the people that she hated expanded rapidly. The smoke was soon followed by an intense, searing heat. With a flash of blinding firelight, the walls that had surrounded them had burst into bright red and orange flames. The flames crept closer and closer towards Evelyn, slowly eating away at her room and all escape routes. The vile smoke soon filled her lungs, but not before she let loose a loud piercing scream._

A high-pitched scream pierced Severus' slumber only hours after falling asleep. He scrambled out of bed. He grabbed his wand and ran over to Evelyn's room. Storming through the door, he scanned her room for any intruders. He didn't find anyone other than himself and his daughter. He noticed that she is thrashing around in her blankets. Her blankets were wrapped up around her frail body, soaked in sweat. Her robe somehow managed to get to the foot of her bed. He rushed to her side immediately, tucking away his wand in the process.

"Evelyn! Wake up! Wake up! Please, wake up!" came a deep baritone voice filled with worry as a pair of strong hands gently shook Evelyn shoulders.

Evelyn's eyelids shot open. The terror and pain from the nightmare lingered deep within her eyes and soul. Out of fright, she bolted out of his grip and into a corner far away from the man, still within her nightmare. She curled up into a ball and shook violently, cold sweat dripped down from her tense forehead. She watched in silent fear as her father approached her in his dark grey nightgown.

"It's alright. It's alright," he cooed softly as his arms wrapped her and pulled her into a tight embrace "I'm here for you. You do not have to be afraid of me."

Slowly, he brought her over to her bed. She clutched his shirt tightly. She buried her face in his chest. She felt safe in his arms. She felt protected. She felt loved. He gently placed her on her bed, but as he turned to move away she clung tightly to his clothes. She did not want to be let go.

"Young one, you must get some more sleep. Why don't you let me go?"

Evelyn mumbled something into his shirt.

"What did you say? I didn't quite understand what you were saying."

'_I'm afraid. I don't want you to leave me.'_

'_I won't leave you. I will stay with you tonight.' _Evelyn felt her father shift around her into a laying position on her bed. The sheets that she somehow had scattered all over the place when she had fled her father's grip flew on top of the both of them.

'_Thank you, daddy, for staying with me.'_

'_It's what I do, my young one. Now do you want to show me your nightmare?'_

'_Do we have to do it now? Why not in the morning?'_

'_If we do it now, it would still be fresh in your mind. If we wait until tomorrow, then you would forget about that specific nightmare.'_

'_Alright, I guess I can show you it.'_

Bringing up the memory of the nightmare to the forefront of her mind, she shoved it into his mind. The pain, the desperation, the loneliness washed over her as the nightmare relived itself in their shared mental connection. The feeling of being left alone pierced her soul like a cold arrow on a winter's day. The coldness that came with the arrow spread all throughout her body causing her to shiver uncontrollably despite her fathers' warm body next to hers. As soon as it had started, the memory stopped.

'_Those bastards! I will hunt them down and torture them for what they have done to you! They will regret ever hurting you.'_ came a thought that reeked of vengeance and hatred. His arms tightened around Evelyn's body bringing her closer to his warm body.

'_Father, please don't leave me! I don't want to lose you so soon after meeting you. I can't bear to lose the only parent I have left. You've all I have left to live for. Please, don't leave me,' _she mentally whispered into his mind, her small hands gripped the fabric of his shirt tighter.

'_My precious child, I will not leave you. I cannot leave you. You are too fragile to be left alone. I must take care of you. I will talk with the headmaster about the issue of your mother and that whale of a thing. At this moment, my priority is to look after your wellbeing. I will not do anything brash that will cause me to lose you. It would pain me greatly to lose my precious daughter. Now get some sleep. We have much to do tomorrow,' _he cooed mentally as one of his hands stroked her silky shoulder length black hair.

'_Yes, father,' _she thought as her restless mind fell into the depths of sleep once more.

Some time had past before the fogginess of sleep lifted. Sitting up in my bed, Evelyn gently rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Looking to her left, she noticed the form of her father sleeping next to her. He looks so peaceful when sleeping. It's like life hadn't been so harsh on him. Yet just watching her father sleep brought on the memories of waking up after a nightmare to the comforting arms of the man sleeping next to her.

Tears streamed down her face as images of the late night scare came rushing in. The emotions she felt came back. The thing that stood out the most was the cold arrow that had pierced her soul had spread its cold tendrils out across her body. The coldness seeped into every inch of her body. Nerves twitched violently, pain and swelling flared up in her throat, cold sweat and tears pour out of her body like cold rain, a dull headache turned into a massive ice cold migraine pounding the insides of her skull like waves viciously beating on buildings and beaches during a hurricane.

Swinging her legs over the edge of her bed, while trying not to wake up her father, she gently placed her feet on the cold stone floor. The slippers that she had used from the day before had disappeared. Slowly, she stood up. She tried to step forward, but her legs stiffened up and wouldn't move. She collapsed on the floor with a thud. Groaning, she tried to get up but couldn't. Her body is too weak to move again. Silently, she sobbed on the floor. She hoped that father wakes up soon. She really had the urge to go to the loo.

As if on cue, she felt his mind snapped awake. She could hear him shuffling around on her bed, frantically searching for her. Evelyn reached out to him through her shared mental connection, bringing his attention to her awakened mind.

'_Evelyn! Where are you?'_ his mind called out to her.

'_I'm o-on the f-floor on t-the other s-side of t-the bed,' _she called back through their mental connection, sobs of pain escaped her mouth.

'_What are you doing on the other side of the bed, young one?'_ he asked as he came around to the other side of the bed and kneeled beside her.

'_I w-wanted to g-go to t-the loo. I h-have to g-go.' _she whispered mentally as she continued to sob.

'_Why did you not wake me up? I could have taken you to the loo,' _he replied as he scooped her up and took her to the loo.

'_You looked so peaceful while you were sleeping. I did not want to disturb your sleep. You needed it,' _she replied as her mind stabilized. Just being in his grip made her feel more relaxed and comfortable.

'_I will always answer to your needs. You need me just as much as I need you right now. I will always take care of you, always love you, and be there for you no matter what happens. I will protect you with my life.'_

"_Promise?'_

'_Always. Do you want me to help you in the loo? Or do you want to go alone?' _he asked as he stopped in front of the loo.

'_I will be fine on my own.'_

'_Are you sure? It didn't work out so well when you first got up.'_

'_Yes, dad, I shall be fine.'_

'_If you say you are, sweetheart. Call for me if you need my help. I will change into more suitable clothes,'_ he thought as he planted Evelyn in a standing position just inside the small bathroom adjacent to her room.

'_Thank you, father,' _she thought as he closed the door behind him as he left.

_Finally! I get to use the loo! _She thought to myself as she walked over to the toilet with the aid of the counter. She pulled down her pajama bottoms and used the loo. After finishing, She washed her hands with warm water and soap. She walked slowly towards the door while using the counter as a support for her weakened legs. Every step she took, she could feel her body getting weaker. Her arms shook as they tried to support some of her weight. It hurt to even breath. Her lungs felt like ripping apart with every intake. Her throat felt like it was on fire. It hurt to swallow. It hurt to make a sound. Evelyn's brain felt like it's going to explode within her skull. The pain of the migraine throbbed harshly. Her vision blurred. A cold sweat formed and began to fall around her face. _Why do I have to fall sick now? I hate being sick._

'_Father! Help me!' _she called mentally as she slid down the side of the counter near the door, too weak to make it any farther.

'_I knew this would happen eventually. I'm coming. Did you go?' _came an exasperated thought.

'_Yes I-I did. I e-even washed m-my hands! B-but I c-couldn't make it t-to the d-door. I'm s-sorry,' _she thought as she sniffled. Her nose had begun to run due to excessive amounts of snot coming loose.

'_There is no need to apologize. You are still weak from the fire.' _Just as the thought had finished, the door to the bathroom swung open enough to allow a full-grown man through. Evelyn watched as her father slid in between the doorframe and the door itself. He had changed into a pair of black work robes. The usually emotionless face held slight traces of worry as he looked down at me. He towered over me but then again, Evelyn was laying on the floor while her father stood at his full height.

'_I'm fine,' _she thought as she smiled weakly.

'_You clearly are not fine. You look worse than yesterday,' _he thought back as he knelt down to pick her up.

'_I'm fine,' _Evelyn's mind whispered quietly.

'_No you are not. I can tell that you are sick. You need medical help. Its back to bed for you,' _came a stern thought as he carried her out of the bathroom and towards her bed. He tucked Evelyn in gently. Pulling out his wand, he cast what looked and felt like a diagnostic charm on her. She watched as his face paled even more that it already was.

'_Now stay there. No wandering around. You are not strong enough to walk.'_

'_Daddy! Don't leave me! Please!'_

'_I must. I have to fetch Madame Pomfrey. She will help you get better. The extent of your sickness is beyond my skill of healing. I won't be far. I will come back shortly, ok? Do not hesitate to mental call me if you need me.' _With that having been said, he gave me a gentle kiss on Evelyn's sweaty forehead. Before he walked out, he gave her a sad look then just turned and left, his cloak billowing behind him.

At the back of her mind, Evelyn could feel her father's magical presence pulsing slightly. Just feeling his presence nearby soothed her. Lulling her senses, Evelyn's mind began to descend into a light state of sleep. Her body relaxed to the point where she could actually fall into a peaceful sleep. Closing her eyes, Evelyn succumbed to the power of sleep with the intent of dozing off until this "Madame Pomfrey" came to check up on her.

'_Evelyn! Wake up! She's here. She needs you awake,'_ came a sharp thought.

Evelyn woke with a start. The pangs of sickness came rushing back like a tsunami wave crashing back in. She shivered slightly as she moved into a sitting position. Evelyn glared darkly at her father, black locking onto black, who stood to her right. A soft giggle from her left brought her attention to a woman to her left. She looks like a gentle, kind older lady who would fit the description of being a nurse, considering what she wore was a nurse's outfit.

"Severus, she has a glare that rivals your own maybe even out do yours," she said after her fit of giggles. The both of them gave her a sharp glare.

"Evelyn, this is Madame Pomfrey the school nurse. Madame Pomfrey, this is my daughter Evelyn," Evelyn's father stated coolly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Snape," she said. Evelyn gave her a curt nod, acknowledging her. "Your father tells me that you've fallen sick recently. May I confirm this with a diagnostic scan?"

Evelyn nodded. Se watched her as she pulled out her wand, approached her and cast the charm, sending the same ticklish feeling as the spell that was cast on her earlier. This time around, she cast a lengthier version of the scan. A scroll popped up near her left hand as she ran her wand down the length of her body. Finishing, she put her wand away and grabbed the paper. She watched as her face paled the more she read what's on the paper. Something just doesn't feel right.

"Severus, she has a mild case of pneumonia, strep throat, her vocal cords have been damaged, and both tibias are fractured, multiple contusions across her abdomen, welts of various ages all across her back and a severe migraine. That's just a few of the things that she has. She has a whole host of other injuries that need to be fixed otherwise she's going to have problems when she gets older," says the old mediwitch as she handed the scroll over to Evelyn's father.

"What?" he replied as he read the notes taken by the scan. Evelyn watched as he struggled to keeps a straight face as he read the list. She could feel his magic bubbling underneath. His anger rising. "Can she be healed?"

"Yes she can be healed. We will need to treat her for her pneumonia and strep throat. Her vocal cords will need to be fixed. Her legs will have to go in casts since all those have to do is heal. The contusions can be mended with a simple healing spell. The welts can be fixed as well. But it will take time to fix. I can assure you that she will be fit for when terms starts in September."

"They will pay for hurting my daughter. They will pay," he hissed as his eyes narrowed. Evelyn could see his hands shake. The room grew darker as his magic radiated angrily around his body.

"Severus! Calm down! Right now your daughter needs you more!" came a worried reply from the mediwitch.

"I know, but I must seek revenge!" he snapped back.

Before he could leave, Evelyn's hand shot up and grabbed ahold of one of his sleeves. Noticing that one of his sleeves got caught in something, he struggled to free it. But, Evelyn clung on desperate for him to stay. Looking up at is his face, she could see pure rage behind his so carefully weaved mask. His eyes locked onto hers, black on black. Evelyn could see the hatred in his eyes dissipate quickly when he saw the pleading look within her eyes. Her magic reached out to him, soothing him, calming him, reigning in his wild magic. He stopped trying to struggle with Evelyn as the anger that he had felt slowly dissipated.

'_She is right, father. I need you. I can't survive on my own right now. I'm too weak, too sick to get up. I need you to take care of me, to help me become stronger. Please, father, don't leave me. I don't want to loose you,' _Evelyn thought as she watched a tear streak down his face.

'_I won't leave you until you get better. Then we can discuss the little topic of the idiots who abused you,' _he thought stiffly.

'_Thank you father,' _Evelyn thought as she sighed. The two of us are going to have a discussion soon. Evelyn could just feel it.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do not own the Harry Potter universe, characters, storyline, etc. I only own Evelyn Calanthia and the storyline made up by me. I would like to thank dorkswatfish and bookwormmermaid1224 for reviewing. Thanks to all my followers as well.**

**Chapter Four**

**A Surprise and the Discussion**

**July 11th**

The low crackling sound of the fire filled the otherwise silent bedroom. Three individual bodies, two standing and one lying in a bed, remained stock still after the confrontation. Each individual lost within his or her own thoughts, mulling over what just happened. Recovering first, Madam Pomfrey conjured up a roll of parchment and a quill in which the latter scribbled down something on the former.

"Severus, I'm giving you a list of potions that Evelyn is required to take before each meal and bedtime as well as after waking up. I will return tomorrow afternoon after lunch with more potions for her to take so that I can reset her bones, heal all the other injuries, and check up on her progress in terms of her illness. Will 2 in the afternoon work for you?" she said as she handed him the list.

"Yes, 2 in the afternoon will work fine for me," he replied as he looked over the list carefully.

"I will take my leave now. I will see the both of you at 2 pm sharp," she said with a swift nod before she turned and left.

Her father and Evelyn watched her leave in silence. The both of them stared at the door. Thoughts ran rampant within their minds. Their emotions rose and fell with each individual thought. Yet, they remained hidden by an emotionless mask and a far off expression. A sudden movement to Evelyn's right brought her out of her stupor, her hand jerking the robe closer to her.

_'It's all right, Evelyn. I will not leave you. I need to accio the required potions for you and transfigure something into a chair for me to sit on.'_

_ 'Sorry,' _Evelyn thought to him sadly _'I just feel I have to cling to you right now.'_

_ 'It is all right my young Evelyn. I know you are a bit clingy. You need my presence to comfort you. We will have to break that habit once you are in better condition. Until then I will allow you to cling to me,' _he thought back as he waved his hand, summoning the potions and transfiguring a chair out of a spare piece of parchment.

_'Yes, father. Are we going to discuss what you promised to discuss a short while ago soon?'_

_ 'Yes. However, it will not happen until later today. You must take your medicine and then rest. You've had a stressful start to the day. I do not want to over stress you when your body cannot handle more stress. Just be patient.'_

_ 'Yes, father. Promise?'_

_ 'I promise. Now take these potions. You need these.'_

_ 'Yes, sir,' _Evelyn thought in compliance as she drank every potion that he handed her _'Will you teach me all about these potions?'_

_ 'In the future, yes, but until I deem you ready to start learning you will do no such thing. Sleep now, little one.'_

_ 'Yes, sir,'_ Evelyn thought weakly as unconsciousness slowly took hold on her already tired mind.

_'Sleep well, sweetheart. I love you,' _came a quiet thought followed by a gentle kiss to her forehead before she fell into the hands of sleep.

Severus watched his daughter keenly while she fell asleep. He watched as she subconsciously attempted to curl up into a fetal position underneath her blankets. She didn't get that far as she still is laying on her back and the fact that her body didn't allow her move much. Her hands clutched the edge of the blanket, pulling the blankets closer to her face. His expression softened the more he watched his sleeping child sleep in a peaceful state. He didn't know it yet, but the love he had once held for someone else began to shift towards the one person who had just stolen his heart.

A few minutes would go by before Severus moved. He reached over to the bottom of her bed and grabbed a hold of her discarded cloak. He sat down in the chair that he transfigured earlier. He made himself comfortable in this chair, Evelyn's robe laid across his lap still clutched in his hands. He sat and watched his daughter a little while longer before he too fell asleep.

In a state of perpetual darkness, Evelyn's mind sank into a seemingly bottomless hole. Everything seems fuzzy like the skin of a kiwi. Thoughts and memories blurred as they whizzed by, refusing to slow down long enough for me to see. These fleeting moments of memories and thoughts only casted a faint white glow against the darkness that overcome her.

Whizzing by faster and faster, the white glow grew warmer and changed to a reddish- orange color. The sound of a crackling fire reached Evelyn's ears. She looked behind her, down deeper into the hole. A wave of shock overcame Evelyn as she watched the hole grow in size as it made its fast approach. This is not a typical dream.

With a start, Evelyn awoke to the sound of the familiar crackling of the fire. The room around her slowly came into focus. The warmth of the fire radiated around the small room. Her sheets felt soft to the touch and kept up a steady pulse of warmth like it did when she last awoke. Looking over to my right, she saw my father sitting in a comfy armchair fast asleep, true to his word.

She observed his sleeping form with curiosity. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. The anger that had ravaged his mind and face earlier was replaced by peaceful thoughts and visions. The tiredness that cumulated in dark shadows underneath his eyes disappeared the more he slept. A soft, rhythmic breathing associated with sleep rose and fell with his chest as he inhaled and exhaled.

Clutched in his hands was her robe, brimming with magic of its own. An intense wave of magic washed over her again this time coming from said robe as it begged her to pick it up. She didn't want to wake her sleeping parent, but she felt this urge to grab her robe and put it on. She just didn't want to rip her robes nor make her father angry. Unbeknownst to Evelyn, as she sat staring longingly at her robes, her father had woken up.

"You're awake I see," drawled the deep baritone voice of father, startling Evelyn just a tad.

Evelyn nodded slowly, her eyes still wide as a doe's eyes in blinding light on a dark moonless night.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked softly.

"Only for a few minutes," Evelyn replied automatically, her mind not registering the fact that she had vocalized her thoughts.

Evelyn stared in horror as a wave magic radiated from dad's body as his eyes tried to hide the shock. Realizing at what she had just done, her hand flew up to her mouth. Her cheeks flushed a bright red with embarrassment. Her eyes were wide with shock. She could feel warm tears welling up and falling down her flushed cheeks. She whimpered softly.

"Evelyn, what's wrong? Does your throat hurt?" whispered her father. His hands pulled her hands away from her mouth. His hands moved several strands of her silky, soft black hair away from her face. He brushed away the streaming tears. Gently, he stroked her face with his thumbs while his hands cupped the sides of my pretty face, oddly resembling his.

"Nothing is wrong, daddy. My throat doesn't hurt anymore. I was afraid that you were mad at me," Evelyn replied quietly, testing out her formerly damaged vocal cords.

"I'm not mad at you, sweetheart, just surprised that you've healed so fast. I'm just worried that with your rapid healing might be detrimental to making sure that you're body is properly healed. I will have to firecall Madam Pomfrey back," he said as his hands let her face go.

"What time is it?" she asked sadly, saddened by the fact that he stopped comforting her. Her face and eyes hinted at her sadness. Evelyn's magic dampened in response to her emotions. She's never been comforted by anyone other than him.

"Almost noon. I will send a house elf to bring you food and your potions at noon while I floo call Madam Pomfrey," he replied after he had cast a quick _Tempus_ charm, noticing Evelyn's sudden change in demeanor "What's the matter, little one?"

"Nothing," she replied.

"It's more than just nothing. Something is bothering you. What is bothering you?" he asked worriedly as he sat back down in his chair.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said as she turned her head away, tears forming in her eyes again.

"Sweetheart, please tell me what's bothering you? Earlier today you wanted to talk and now you are hesitant," he continued, his hand grabbing ahold of Evelyn's chin and turning her face towards him. Their eyes locked, worried black on tearful black.

"I just want to be comforted by you. I never got much comforting mum. She never cared about me. She cared more about that whale of a boyfriend than me," Evelyn replied quietly, more tears streaming from her eyes.

"I will never deny you comfort. I cannot deny you that need," came a gentle response as his arms pulled her off the bed and into lap, wrapping her in my robes, tenderly hugging her close to his warm chest.

"Promise?" Evelyn asked, her voice slightly muffled by her dad's clothing.

"Always. Now, what would you like for lunch? Since you missed your breakfast."

"Chicken stew and hot cocoa,"

"Fulvia!" The sound of a pop alerted me to the presence of the house elf.

"What can Fulvia do for Master Severus?" squeaked the house elf.

"Can you prepare us lunch? Chicken stew, couscous, hot cocoa, and pumpkin juice, please? And can you also alert Madam Pomfrey to come right away to my quarters. There has been a new development with my daughter," he replied calmly.

"Yes, Master Severus. Is there anything else you ask of Fulvia, sir?"

"Nothing else, Fulvia. Just lunch and getting Madam Pomfrey,"

"Yes, Master Severus. As you wish," she squeaked with a low bow and disappeared with a pop.

The two of them sat in silence after the little house elf left. The sound of the fire crackled from the fireplace. Its warmth spread all across the small bedroom. Their quiet breathing matched each other. Two chests rose and fell with every breath. His strong heartbeat pounding in Evelyn's ear as her head rested on his chest. The scent of cologne and potions wafted into her nose. His arms tenderly wrapped around Evelyn's small, battered body. Being wrapped in his arms, hearing his steady heartbeat and breathing, enveloped in not only her own robes but his black pair as well. Just being near him felt so comforting, so protected, so safe.

Suddenly, something went pop causing Evelyn to flinch. She could feel her dad's arms tightened around her, seemingly trying to protect her, to comfort her. She could feel the protectiveness radiating through his magic and the tenseness in his body. Then, the smell of food drifted into her nose.

"Master Severus, I has brought yous your food. Madam Pomfrey will be here as fast as she can. Is there anything Master Severus requires of Fulvia?" chirped the house elf as she set a large tray of food down at the edge of the bed.

"Thank you, Fulvia. That is all I require of you. I will call for you if I need you," her father replied, his voice sending reverberations through his chest.

"Yes, Master Severus, as you wish," chided the house elf before popping away.

"Now, little one, I must set you on your bed to eat. You must eat before Madam Pomfrey comes around. Please don't resist me," came the soothing voice of Evelyn's father.

"Yes, father," she replied softly, not really happy that she had to leave his protection, as he gently placed her back on the bed.

He then brought the tray of food closer to Evelyn. She followed his movements as he placed it over her legs. The stew and couscous steamed within their bowls. The silverware and napkins sat on either side of each bowl facing each individual. The hot cocoa and pumpkin juice were placed on the other side of the bowls, still within reach.

Eyeing her father, Evelyn waited until he had picked up his silverware and started eating did she began to eat herself. Evelyn ate slowly to make sure that she didn't upset her stomach. Evelyn drank her cocoa gradually as both her hands held the cup so that she wouldn't drop it on her pajamas. She could see out of the corner of her eye that her father was glancing at her every so often, a soft observing glint, a very poorly hidden at that, within his eyes.

They continued to eat quietly. Taking comfort in each other's presence. They knew that they didn't have much time before Madam Pomfrey showed up, but they still ate slowly, savoring each bite, attempting to prolong the comforting peace they shared. It would be inevitable that she would arrive.

Suddenly, as Evelyn was finishing up the last of her hot cocoa and stew, she felt the whoosh of the floo in the sitting room before hearing it. Alerting her father through their special mental connection, she sat down her cup on the tray. Evelyn watched her hands as they nervously intertwined with each other.

Out of the corner of her eye, Evelyn noticed that her dad's hand's reached over to hers. It took everything to not flinch as he unwound her nervous hands and took ahold of them in his own hands. Peering up to his face through her black hair, Evelyn could see hints of a sympathetic smile forming on his face and in his eyes. The slight wrinkle around the eyes, the slight twitching around the corner of his lips apparently resisting forming a smile. She returned a small, shy smile.

All of a sudden, the partially closed door swung open and banged against the wall behind it. A disheveled Madam Pomfrey stormed into the room. A strange look had stuck itself all across her face. By the time she had reached Evelyn's bed, the tray of food had disappeared.

"What's the problem now, Severus?" she asked.

"She's healed faster than expected, Poppy. Her fast healing is starting to worry me. Under different circumstances, I would've appreciated her fast healing, but in this case it worries me. It may or may not be detrimental to fixing her body," he replied worriedly.

"How can she heal so fast? I don't think it's quite possible," she stated.

"It's quite possible. My magic has saved me from death many times from death. Sure it didn't heal most of my wounds properly, but I'm alive. I think that it's learned to heal fast due to my past. There is the possibility that my magic is stronger than most people my age," Evelyn chirped in quietly, barely heard over the fire.

"S-she s-spoke! W-what a s-surprise," stuttered Madam Pomfrey; shock plastered itself all over her face.

"Yes she did," dad said with a smirk on his face "Like Evelyn said, her magic has healed her, thus keeping her alive for so long. Through our mental connection, I have felt her magical core. It's very strong. It's stronger than I expected to be. However, even with her natural healing abilities, I worry that if we don't fix her up now her body will heal in a way that will become a problem for her later in life. I do not want that to happen."

"I understand, Severus. I will prepare for the healing process now. I will return shortly after dinner with the necessary potions. Make sure she eats at teatime and very, very lightly at dinnertime. We do not want her to puke during the surgery. Make sure that she takes her potions at teatime."

"Yes, Poppy. I will."

With a curt nod, Madam Pomfrey left. The whoosh of the floo a few minutes later alerted them to her departure. Evelyn's body and mind relaxed, but she couldn't resist putting up a mental shield not only around her but her dad as well. Her hands still clutched her dad's hands, although rather tightly.

"Evelyn, why don't you take a nap before teatime? It would probably do you some good," father said after a few minutes of silence.

"Daddy, we still haven't had the discussion that you promised me this morning. Can we talk, please?" Evelyn asked quietly, a pleading look in her eyes as she stared into his emotionless ones.

"You need rest. I do not want you to become emotionally unstable before your surgery," he replied.

"I am! Look at what I'm doing. I'm resting! I think it probably would probably help to release the burden from my chest and mind as well as take it off of yours before the surgery," Evelyn insisted.

"Alright," he said, a slight mental sigh rippled through their connection while he pinched the bridge of his nose "Shall we begin with the nightmare? Have you had this before? Was this the first time that this nightmare has happened?"

"This was the first time that this particular nightmare has happened, but I've had similar ones before. All of them had the basic underlying theme of abuse. Just last night's nightmare had the fire element added to it,"

"I see. Did they really abuse you?"

"Yes they did. Whenever I disobeyed one of the rules, whenever I didn't complete a chore to their liking, whenever I didn't even do a chore, when I performed accidental magic, or whenever they got drunk they would punish me by beating me with whatever they had on hand. Belts, pans, hands, feet, anything really to hurt me. They starved me too. Hence why I'm so undernourished.

"I hated it there. Always treated like a house elf. Constantly wondering when I would be beaten. Always going on an empty stomach. Always wondering when my next meal would be. Every day I hoped that the next day would be better. Every day I hoped you would come for me. For eleven long years, I waited, I hoped, I suffered.

"Before you contacted mum, and I, I thought you would never come. I thought that you would never save me from the terror I had to live through each and every single day. I feared that I would die there. And then you came and saved me from death," Evelyn stated as she gripped her dad's hands tightly, tears forming in her eyes.

"Sweetheart, I'm here now. I'm here to protect you, to take care of you, to love you. I would never dream of hurting you. I will never allow anything to come to harm you. Always," he replied. He then took his hands out of hers, causing Evelyn to release a flow of tears. His strong arms picked her up and pulled her onto his lap, protectively wrapping his robes and arms around her.

Evelyn buried her face in his chest. His chest rose and fell with each intake and outtake of breath. His unique smell whirled around her nose. The warmth of his body radiated around her small body. Evelyn's hands clutched his robes tightly. A hand rubbed her back in circles. She could feel his magic reaching out to her, engulfing her with protective and calming tendrils. Evelyn felt safe in his arms, yet she still cried. The tears streamed down her face onto his robes, soaking them with tears and mucus.

An hour rolled by before Evelyn finally calmed down enough. The tears stopped, as Evelyn didn't have much left to shed. Moving she face away from his chest, she took note of the wet spot that had formed where the tears had ended up. Evelyn tried to wipe away the spot, but couldn't. Instead, she resorted to just wiping her tear stained face. Her father's body shifted to accommodate Evelyn's sudden change in body position.

"Don't worry about the tear stain. I can take care of it. Now stop wiping your face," her father said.

"Yes, sir," Evelyn sniffled quietly.

She stared at the spot she had cried on as it disappeared. Apparently, a simple freshening charm had been used to clean up the spot. A tingling on Evelyn's face alerted her to magic being used. Evelyn's face felt freshened. The tear stained that had once caked her face disappeared. It felt wonderful.

"Look at me, little one," he replied as he nudged Evelyn's chin upwards with his hand "How do you feel?"

"I feel a lot better now. I feel like a lot has come off of my mind and chest."

"Good. What else is bothering you?"

"You never gave me any rules and expectations to follow. How am I supposed to know if I've done something wrong if I don't know the rules? What are my consequences if I broke these rules?"

"Alright. Might as well tell you know rather than later. Never enter my lab unless you have my expressed permission to enter. I may allow you to help me with simple potions, but not with the more complicated potions. Always tell me where you are going and for how long. I do not wish to be frightened at the thought of losing you simply because you failed to mentioned anything to me. Keep your room clean. The house elves will do most of the heavy cleaning for you, but you will keep your stuff neat and orderly in their proper places.

"You will tell me if you are hurting or in pain. I will do all I can to help you get over it. I expect you to talk to me if something is bothering you or if you just want to talk. I would like to know if anything is bothering you or if you just need to talk to me. I will always be approachable for you, even if I'm angry.

"I expect you to keep up on all your school work. I expect you to achieve high grades in all your classes. Feel free to come to me in all of your schoolwork if you need help or if anything better explained to you. I expect you to be respectful to your professors, to your fellow students, and any one else that you meet. Between you and me, you can call me whatever you like. However, always be wary of who you meet. Thus I expect you to answer properly. No short or inadequate answers such as dunno, whatever, and the like.

"Lastly, always be attentive of your surroundings, of others, and even in yourself. You may never know if something goes wrong. If something does happen, you must alert me, or another teacher if I'm not available, of what's going on. I know it's a lot to take in all at once, but do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, daddy. I understand. But, what about the consequences of breaking these rules and expectations?"

"If you break the rules you will be grounded, sent to a corner for a short while or sent to your room. But if you break a more severe rule, such as a school rule, then you will get a spanking. However, I will comfort you and talk to you after each punishment. I don't want you to think like you don't belong with me. You do. You always will belong with me. Am I clear?"

"Yes, daddy."

"Good. Now lets get you ready for teatime."

"But, I don't have any other clothes other than this robe and the clothes that I was wearing the day of the fire!"

"It's alright, little one. I can just alter some of my clothes for the time being. I don't want you to ruin your good robe during the healing process. We will have to make a trip to Diagon Alley once you've been cleared to leave by Madam Pomfrey to buy you proper clothing and eventually your school supplies."

"When will I receive my letter?"

"Given the fact that it's the beginning of July, I will give it to you when I feel like you are ready to read it."

"Yes, daddy."

"Good. Rest now. I will be back with some transfigured clothes and then I will help you with taking a bath or shower," he said as he placed Evelyn back on the bed.

"Yes, daddy," she replied.

Evelyn watched him walk towards the door with wide eyes. Her heart leaped up into her throat. Her palms became slightly clammy. Her hands began to shake slightly. She's starting to feel lightly nervous. He looked back at Evelyn from the doorway and gave her a soft, loving look. A hint of protectiveness gleamed within his black eyes. A gentle, reassuring mental and magical touch from her father reached out into the mind of his daughter, comforting her. Then he left with a swish of his cloak.

Severus strode over to his bedroom. He grabbed a pair of his clothes and shrunk this pair into a smaller pair to fit his daughter. Sure it's probably not her style, but until he can take her to Diagon Alley to buy her clothes suited for her she will have to wear his clothes. Placing the shrunken clothes in a pocket of his robes, he walked back to Evelyn's room.

What he found was a sleeping Evelyn. Instead of waking her up to get her to change, Severus just sat down in the conjured chair and let Evelyn to continue sleeping. He will have to wake her up before teatime to get her to change.


End file.
